Spring-well-casing hook



Feb. 9 1926.

L. H. KElM SPRING WELL CASING HOOK Filed Feb. 18, 1925 la/ld j 5 m i 2 z 5 i& 1 3 1 0 J 2 y y H mm 5 1+ 3 Patented Feb. 9, 1926 UNITED STATES LESTER H. 1mm, 0]? PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

SPBING-WELL-CASING noon.

Application filed February 18, 1925. Serial No. 9,971.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. LEs'rER H. Kant. a

citizen of the United States. residing at Pasadena. in the county of Los Angeles and State of California. have invented new and useful Spring-'ell-Cusing Hooks. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hooks. and especially to the type of books employed in the construction and Operation of oil and gas wells for supporting the casing or drill pipe employed during the drilling operation.

In the construction of oil and gas wells the casing or drill employed is commonly suspended by a hook. This casing or drill consists of a number of sect-ions of drill connected together. and during the construction or operation of oil or gas wells it becomes necessary to frequently add or remove one or more sections of the casing or drill rod. This is accomplished by rotating the casing or drill rod at one point below the joint to be broken. by means of a so-called rotary table while tongs or the like are placed upon the casing .or drill rod above'the joint to hold the sections to be removed stationary.

If suitable means is not provided to remove the disconnected section of drill stem from the remainder of the drill stem after breaking the connection therebetween. these two parts will be rotated together with the respring of the hook and with a resultant highrate of wear or stress. thereon. Moreover. when such hooks wear loose upon their swivel supports they cannot be tightened or adjusted except by adjusting the compression of the" spring in the hook.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a form of spring poised casing hook which is provided with a means for permitting the hook rotating independently of its supportand thus the wear or torsional stress upon the spring employed in the hook eliminated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring poised casing hook in which the swivel mounting or hearing race for the hook shank can be adjusted independent of any adjustment of the spring mounting the hook.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a form of spring poised casing hook in which the spring mounting the hook is enclosed so that foreign matter is unable to destructlvely act upon such spring and lubricant may be retained around the bear.-

ings.

Variousother objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the preferred form of well casing hook embodying this invention. for which purpose reference is made' to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred example of a casing hook embodying the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partially in vertical section of a preferred form of well casing hook.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2- of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is an elevation partially in vertical section of a modified form of well casing 'hook. sult that the connecting threads will be ground ofi or damaged.

Referring to the drawings, the well casing h ok there illustrated comprises a body 2 having opposite trunnions 3. 3. by which the body 2 may be supported from a bail 4. The body 2 in turn supports a hook member 5 comprising a hook proper 6 of any preferred or customary form. the hook proper 6 being integral with a vertically extending shank 7. Said shank 7 extends through the center of the bodyQ. shank T of the hook member 5 is provided an annular flange 8 adapted to contact with the lower, end of the body 2 to limit the upward motion of the hook member with respect to the body 2.

The shank 7 is provided with three nortions 9. 10 and 11 of difi'erent diameters. the lower portion 9 being of largest diameter. the portion 10 being of slightly decreased diameter. and the portion 11 being-smallest in diameter. The end of the portion 11 is threaded as indicated at 12. Between the portion 11 of the shank and the portion 10 is At the base of the spectively, indicate roller races supported by the bodies 16 and 15, respectively. Between such races 18 and 19 are disposed rollers 20 of any desired or preferred form.

The weight of the hook member 5 is placed uponthe rollers through nuts 21 and 22, respectively, threaded to the end of the portion 11 of the shank. These nuts also permit a regulation of the pressure applied to the rollers and adjusting thereof. The thrust bearing 14 and thereby the hook member 5 are supported on the body 2 by means, of a compression spring 23 coiled around the shaft and engaging at its re spective ends the lower roller race body 15 and a hardened spring rest 24 at the base of a spring chamber 25 formed in the body 2. Such spring chamber extends above the up per end of the spring 23 and thus the spring is entirely enclosed. (7

\Vhen used as a well casing hook, the spring 23 should be designed of sufiicient strength so that it will hold the hook member 5 in a slightly elevated position relative to the body 2 when bearing the sections of easing or drill stems which are to be connected to the string or have just been removed, but of insuflicient strength to sup} port the entire weight of a string of easing or drill stem and hence collapse. This collapsing of the spring 23 may bring the lower roller race body 15 of the bearing 1 1 into contact with a stop shoulder 26 formed on the Walls of the spring chamber 23 as in the form of the invention shown in Fi 1. but this shoulderv may be eliminated and the spring permitted to collapse upon itself as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which like parts are designated by like numerals.

In orderto prevent the spring 23 being worn or subjected to torsional stresses through rotation with the hook member 5, keys 27 are provided extending from the lower roller race body 15 into keyways 28 in the walls of the chamber 23 of the body, the keys 27 having a sliding fit therewith so that they do not prevent relative vertical movement between the hook member 5 and body 2.

During considerable part of the use of the well casing hook 6 it is desirable to prevent rotation but permit vertical movement of the hook member 5 with respect to the remainder of the hook as this has been found to assist in preventing entanglement of the line. In order to accomplish this purpose, the lower portion 9 of the shank of the hook is provided with longitudinal ways 29 adapted to be engaged by anti-rotation lugs 30. -Said lugs are formed on heads 31 mounted on rods 32 disposed in lateral ways 33 in the lower end of the body 2. Such rods are yieldingly urged towards the hook member 5 by coil springs 34 in the ways engaging at one end lugs 30 and at the other end rests 35 threaded to the outer ends of the ways. The rods 32 extend through the rests and are provided with operating knobs 36.

By the well casing hook thus described pression placed on the spring 23 being varied and the hook member 5 may be locked from rotation with respect to the bodv when desired. this without confining the vertical gr rectilinear movement of the hook mem WhileI have described the invention in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the form of the invention may be modified in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A well casing hook comprising a hook member, a body, a spring mounting the hook member on the body, a rotary bearing between the hook member and spring, and re leasable means for locking the hook member from rotation relative to the body without confining the rectilinear movement of said hook member.

2. A well casing hook, comprising a body, supporting means for the body, a spring mounted on-the body, rotary bearing means mounted by said spring a hook member mounted on said bearing means, and means for adjusting said bearing means independently of said spring.

3. A well casing hook comprising a body,

supporting means for the body, said body having a vertical bore enlarged to form a spring chamber, a hook member having a shank extending into said bore, a sprlng mounted in said spring chamber for sup-, porting said hook member, a roller race bearing mounting said hook member on said spring, and releasable means for locking the hook member from rotation relative to the body without confining the rectilinear movement of said hook member and body for guiding. said bearing.

4. A well casing hook comprising a body, a hook member having a shank extending through said body, a shoulder on said shank,

a bearing for the hook member adjustable against said shoulder, and a spring mounting the bearing and hook member on the body.

5. A well casing hook comprising a body having a spring chamber, ahook member having a shank extending into said chamber, a roller race bearing having its lower body part engaging a shoulder on said shank and having" a key operatively engaging the body to prevent relative rotary movement therebetween, the hook member being revolvable on said bearing, a spring yieldingly mounting said bearing on said body, said bearingbeing entirely enclosed in said body, and releasable means to lock said hook member against rotation.

6. A Well casing hook comprising a hook member, a body, spring means yieldin 1y mounting the hook. member on the bor ly, means operative to prevent rotation of the hook member relative td the body from rotating said spring means, a roller race bearing for said hook member, and means for adjusting the same without adjusting the compression applied to said spring means.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 12 day of February 1925.

' LESTER H. KEIM. 

